Life Pre-intermediate Unit 4b

Past continuous and past simple: Actions in progress, temporary

actions and situations, the background to a story

It was winter. I was staying

with my grandparents at the
time. One day I needed to go
to London. My grandparents
offered to drive me to the
station. It was snowing and the
traffic was moving really slowly
so I decided to get out and walk.
As I arrived at the station the
last passengers were getting on
the train. I ran to the platform,
but it was too late. The train
was leaving the station.

Presentation
Use the past continuous to talk about actions and Past continuous and past simple
situations in progress at a particular moment in the past: You can use the past continuous with the past simple to
It was snowing and the traffic was moving really slowly. talk about two actions that happened at the same time.
Use the past continuous to talk about the action which
Past continuous
was already in progress. Use the past simple to talk
Affirmative and negative about a second, shorter action:
was
I / He / She / It
wasn’t (was not)
running.
were She arrived on the platform
We / You / They
weren’t (were not) time

The train was leaving the station

Questions and short answers
When she arrived at the platform, the train was leaving
was I / he / she / it
Where going? the station.
were we / you / they

Yes, I / he / she / it was. No, I / he / she / it wasn’t.

The second, shorter action sometimes interrupts the
Yes, you / we / they were. No, you / we / they weren’t. action already in progress:

You also often use the past continuous to describe the

background to a story: The ticket collector stopped me
It was winter. I was staying with my grandparents at the time
time.
I was running up the stairs
Do not use the past continuous with stative verbs:
I needed … (not I was needing.) I was running up the stairs to the platform when the
See Unit 9 for information about stative verbs. ticket collector stopped me.

Practical Grammar 2 1 © National Geographic Learning

 Pre-intermediate Unit 4b
Exercises
1 Complete the sentences with was, were, wasn’t or weren’t.
1 What you doing at ten o’clock last night?
2 Why he running away so fast?
3 He doing his homework. He watching TV instead!
4 They disturbing the neighbours with their loud music.
5 I’m sorry. I working late at the office and I forgot to call.
6 Sorry, we listening. What did you say?
7 She living there for very long, only a few weeks, I think.
8 They having problems with their car, so they took a taxi.

2  Choose the correct form of the verb. Then listen and check.
Conversation 1
A: What 1 did you do / were you doing at 2 a.m. this morning? 2 Did you have / Were you having a party?
B: No, not a party. We 3 invited / were inviting some friends round for dinner. Why?
A: The music was really loud! I 4 tried / was trying to get to sleep.
B: Sorry! I 5 didn’t know / wasn’t knowing it was so loud.
Conversation 2
C: Oh! Hello! I didn’t know you 6 waited / were waiting for me. I 7 spoke / was speaking to Mark on the phone.
D: It’s OK. I 8 finished / was finishing work about half an hour ago. Would you like to go for a quick coffee?
Have you got time?
C: Yes, I have. I 9 just looked / was just looking at a report, but I can finish it later.

3 Complete the text with the past continuous or past simple of the verbs in brackets.

A man 1 (walk) down the street. It 2 (be) a beautiful

day – the sun 3
(shine) and the birds 4
(sing). The
man 5
(walk) past a park bench when he 6
(see) a piece
of paper on the floor. He 7
(pick) it up. It 8
(be) a lottery ticket.
He 9
(cross) the street to a shop where a woman 10
(write) the
winning lottery numbers on a board. He 11
(read) the numbers on the board and
12
(look) at the numbers on his ticket. He couldn’t believe his eyes! As he
13
(walk) out of the shop, he 14 (dream) about how he
would spend his three-million-pound prize!

Practical grammar 2 2 © National Geographic Learning